Sunday, June 24, 2012

As I frantically add last minute items to the car and camper for our camping trip.... departing tomorrow morning!! ... it occurs to me that I need to blog about this week's palette over at The Colour Room.

I had a bunch of fun with water, glimmermists and salt to create this funky little background technique and teamed it up with a silhouette photo of my ds#1 and some 'really old' rubon numbers (love using up old stuff). Thanks to Feature Art for the sponsorship this month.

{count the ways}

Yummy Dusty Attic cogs helped to set the boy theme and were simply gessoed to offset them against the watercoloured background:

Cogs Frames Set : DA0327

Mini Cogs: DA0689

Thanks so much for popping in guys.... but i really need to finish packing!! A little bit more than a week in a warm sunny beach in Far North Queensland is beckoning!! :)) Promise to update with lots of piccies.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Eeeek! Last week was all about catching up on all things family.... that were so disgracefully ignored in the build up to the Brisbane Expo!! :) We've had a birthday and a sleepover party, an away game for football that required an overnight stay, one stressed Year 11 dd in exam block requiring lots of support (because apparently an A- is considered a 'fail'!), and a horrible temperature/headache virus thrown in for good measure!

Time now to revisit my neglected online family..... :)

Just in the nick of time, and because I enjoyed my first canvas so much, I decided to do another one for this week's palette at The Colour Room. I have also incorporated the Feature Art papers, this month's sponsor at TCR.

{happiness}

Feature Art tissue paper was also used to build the background textures, which also includes old book paper, offcuts of cardboard (I never throw away any cardboard scraps), lots of gesso and acrylic paints, glimmermist, plastic netting, muslin, buttons and trinkets.

The ever-present Dustic Attic chipboard also features... :) In typical fashion, I have painted and misted it to incorporate it into the background, outlined it with darker glimmermist and a fine paintbrush, then touched it up lightly with gesso and a dry brush to help distinguish and highlight it. One of my favourite techniques. Some tiny little scattered glass beads have also added a touch of sparkle and interest.

The chippy used:

Scroll Border #1, DA0219

Don't be afraid to snip up your chipboard shapes to suit your purpose or design. I do it all the time!

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Fresh back from the Brisbane Scrapbook and Papercraft Expo and what a blast!

I had a fantastic time and (aside from the learning experience of a rather chaotic class on Saturday), I thoroughly enjoyed my first 'in person' teaching experience. Thank you to the many wonderful and kind ladies who took my class and made me feel at ease. Your comments and feedback following the classes were amazing and I am truly humbled and thankful to have been involved in what I'm certain will be a regular event for me.... whatever the capacity.

A big thankyou also to Nicole and Craft Queen for the fabulous opportunity and for all your help and support. You are a true professional and I don't know what I would have done without your guidance and assistance.

To Kim and Tina.... you are wonderful!! Your help on all three days was just astounding and I could not have gotten through each class without your tireless efforts. Big hugs... again! :)

I can now show you the layout that the class was based on, in full . Quite a detailed layout, it was a little bit of a challenge to get this completed in the designated time. I had toyed with the idea of making a much simpler page, but decided that that just wasn't me. I would much rather give people something that was authentically me and have them leave my class with a little homework, rather than feel duped or short changed.

{she dreamed}

In need of a couple of catch up days and hopeful that I have avoided the nasty flu bugs that almost every second person at the show seemed to be hosting.... I'm now off to clean floors! What an anti-climax!! lol

Quite sad that I just could't manage another bag on my shoulder and hence no camera, no photos! : ( I'm hopeful that I will receive some from the lovely Annette and Kim soon... ; )

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

A few things I need to catch up on. Firstly, Dusty Attic is now doing a fabulous little ATC challenge every month. I've never done them before, but at just 2.5' x 3.5' they are just sooooo cute and really achieveable in a small amount of time. Great if you don't have time for a layout, but still feel the need to get your hands messy... :) The month of June is all about birds and flight, showcasing the gorgeous new release chippies...

{give me wings}

{to soar}

This is what I used from the new release:

Make sure you check out the rest of the DT ATC inspiration over at Dusty Attic, and come play with us!

A couple of Colour Room layouts also need sharing as I've been a little distracted with other things these last couple of weeks... sorry Bloggers! :)

First of all, a card! Yep, that's right..... me, a card! lol. Running a little short on time, I whipped this little fella up for palette #112 over at the Colour Room.

{just because}

More Dusty Attic goodness of course, this time the gorgeous Heart Flourish (DA 0667) was perfect for card making.

This little guy is also the subject of my sketch challenge over at the Boxx this month, so make sure you head over for a little peek.... I'd love for you to play along. :)

And secondly, this next palette (#113) was developed in conjunction with Feature Art papers...

{wings}

Thanks so much for popping in.... I so hope things slow down a little for me when I return from Brisbane next week! If you are going to Brissy, see you there!! :)))

Friday, June 1, 2012

I don't know what I'm looking forward to most, doing my class, or meeting so many totes gorgeous ladies and having a social blast all weekend!!!!

Aside from my class layout, this show layout and card kit is also going to be available at the Craftqueen stand, so make sure you stop by and say a big 'hi' to Nicole at stand 11.... if for no other reason than because she is lovely!! :)